Illuminating cable for enhanced traceability

ABSTRACT

Enhanced traceability of cables is provided using illumination. An embodiment comprises introducing a chemiluminescent (alternatively, flourescent) solution into a chamber coupled to at least a portion of an insulating jacket that surrounds a transmission medium, the chamber being initially hollow and, in at least a portion thereof, comprised of a substance through which light is viewable, such that upon introduction of the solution, light emitted by the solution is viewable through at least a portion of the chamber. In another embodiment, a first and second compartment contain a first and second substance, respectively, and are physically separated by a separator material. The separator material, when triggered to open, forms an opening between the compartments that allows the substances to mix, the substances being chosen as providing a chemiluminescent reaction upon the mixing, such that light emitted by the chemiluminescent reaction is viewable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to physical cables, and deals moreparticularly with using a reaction among chemiluminescent or flourescentcompounds for illuminating a selected cable. The illuminated cable thusbecomes easier to identify, particularly if located within a group orbundle of cables.

When an electronic device is installed for use as, for example, acomponent of a computing system or network, there may be a number ofcables connected thereto. It is common to have a relatively large numberof electronic devices installed together in close proximity, each havingits own connected cables. The cables may become intertwined, and/or maybe placed in locations that are difficult to see and/or access. As thenumber of devices increases, the ability to locate a particular cableattached to a particular device becomes increasingly difficult.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for enhanced traceability of a cable byillumination. In one embodiment, a cable apparatus preferably comprises:a transmission medium; an insulating jacket surrounding the transmissionmedium; and a chamber coupled to at least a portion of the insulatingjacket, the chamber being initially hollow and, in at least a portionthereof, comprised of a substance through which light is viewable, suchthat upon introduction into the hollow chamber of a chemiluminescent(alternatively, flourescent) solution, light emitted by thechemiluminescent solution is viewable through at least a portion of thechamber. In another embodiment, a cable apparatus preferably comprises:a transmission medium; an insulating jacket surrounding the transmissionmedium; a first compartment coupled to at least a portion of theinsulating jacket, the first compartment containing a first substance;and a second compartment coupled to at least a portion of the firstcompartment and physically separated therefrom by a separator material,the second compartment containing a second substance, wherein theseparator material, when triggered to open, thereby forms an openingbetween the first compartment and the second compartment that allows thefirst substance to mix with the second substance, the first and secondsubstances being chosen as providing a chemiluminescent reaction uponthe mixing, such that light emitted by the chemiluminescent reaction isviewable from the cable apparatus. In an embodiment, tracing a cableusing illumination preferably comprises introducing a chemiluminescentsolution into a hollow chamber of a cable apparatus of which the cableforms a part, the chamber coupled to at least a portion of an insulatingjacket that surrounds a transmission medium of the cable, a portion ofthe chamber comprised of a substance through which light is viewable,such that upon the introduction of the chemiluminescent solution, lightemitted by the chemiluminescent solution is viewable through at leastthe portion of the chamber.

These and other aspects of the present invention may be provided in oneor more embodiments. It should be noted that the foregoing is a summaryand thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, andomissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art willappreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended tobe in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, andadvantages of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims,will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forthbelow.

The present invention will be described with reference to the followingdrawings, in which like reference numbers denote the same elementthroughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of cabling bundles in the rear of arack-mounted system of computing devices;

FIG. 2A illustrates a “before” scenario for an embodiment and FIG. 2Billustrates an “after” scenario for this embodiment, and FIG. 2Cprovides a closer view of components illustrated therein; and

FIG. 3A illustrates a “before” scenario for another embodiment and FIG.3B illustrates an “after” scenario for this embodiment, and FIGS. 3C and3D depict a view of a mechanism that may be used with this embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward enhancedtraceability of a cable by illumination. An embodiment provides forilluminating the cable along its length, or at least a portion thereof,without requiring power from the incorporating system (or elsewhere).The illumination comes from the mixing of substances that, whencombined, emit light. A jacket or chamber surrounds the cable andcontains the substances, and at least a portion of this jacket orchamber is translucent or transparent such that the emitted light can beseen.

As noted earlier, when an electronic device is installed as a componentof a computing system or network, there may be a number of cablesconnected thereto, and it is common to have a relatively large number ofelectronic devices installed together in close proximity, each havingits own connected cables. Commonly, the devices are installed into arack or other housing. The housing space may be crowded with devices andcables, which makes locating a particular cable difficult. The housingmay be located in a relatively dark area, and/or may be formed from darkmaterial, which also makes it more difficult to see the cables and tolocate a particular cable. As the number of cables increases beyond asmall number, it becomes more likely that the cables will becomeintertwined, which increases the difficulty of locating a particularcable. This problem is exacerbated as the number of devices increases.

It is known to use cables of different colors in an attempt to improvethe likelihood of locating a desired cable. However, as the number ofcables increases, the colors may be reused, and it may be confusing todetermine the correct instance of a particular cable color. In addition,if the cables are located in a low-light area, it may be difficult todistinguish among the colors. It is also known that light may betriggered by exposure to a separate light source, such as by providing a“glow in the dark” adaptation of a cable. This, however, requires aservice technician to be able to get into close proximity of theparticular cable, such that its reaction can be triggered. However,because of the proximity of other cables, it is highly unlikely that thelighting could be triggered for the appropriate cable while avoiding thetriggering for other nearby cables.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of cabling bundles in the rear of arack-mounted system of computing devices, shown generally at 100, wherebundles of cables are shown extending outwardly from the leftmostportion of the rear of the devices (by way of example) in the racks.Large servers and racks of servers often have dozens of such cablesrunning through them and out the back, as illustrated by the example.The cables are often similar to one another, and are bundled togetherand routed in tight, dark spaces. In FIG. 1, the side of the rackhousing is shown at 110 as a solid enclosing surface, and it can be seenthat the bundles of cables abut this side of the rack.

It can be seen from the example configuration in FIG. 1 that thedifficult physical access conditions, as well as the sheer number ofcables, makes it difficult for service personnel to identify, trace, andremove a particular cable that needs to be replaced. Service personnelusing prior art approaches often need to cut a cable to remove it fromamong the other cables in a bundle, and even then, it can be difficultto trace the cut cable through the rack and pull it out due to the lackof light and the tight space.

An embodiment of the present invention uses cables that emit lightthrough a translucent or transparent jacket or chamber (or portionthereof), thereby making it easier for service personnel to identify andtrace a single cable among a bundle, even after the cable has beendisconnected from the server or power source to which it had beenattached and even though the cable may be located in a dark, crampedspace. For ease of reference but not by way of limitation, thetranslucent or transparent jacket or chamber is referred to hereinafteras a translucent chamber or simply as a chamber. Notably, an embodimentdoes not require the entire cable length to be surrounded by suchtranslucent chamber, and thus the translucence may comprise a portion orwindow-type area of the chamber.

Use of the present invention in an exemplary scenario will now bedescribed. A server detects that an attached cable is defective, andgenerates a signal indicating that this cable needs to be replaced.(Techniques for this type of defect detection and corresponding signalgeneration are known in the art.) Typically, an LED (light-emittingdiode) light on the server lights up, where this LED corresponds to thedefective cable and indicates that the cable needs replacement. An endof the cable may also contain an LED that lights up, responsive to thegenerated signal. A service technician may thereby identify thebeginning of the defective cable, based on either or both of these LEDs.As has been discussed, the technician will often find it difficult totrace the defective cable once he or she disconnects it from the server,due to the multitude of cables in the confined space. The techniciantherefore initiates the illumination reaction, according to anembodiment of the present invention, which causes the cable to glow. Theglowing cable can thus be easily traced in order to locate it forremoval.

Initiating the illumination reaction comprises causing a plurality ofchemiluminescent compounds to mix together, forming a glowing liquid inthe translucent chamber. (The compounds may alternatively be flourescentwithout deviating from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly,the compounds are referred to herein as chemiluminescent by way ofillustration but not of limitation.) It is contemplated that theillumination reaction may cause light to be emitted for at least severalhours, although a strict time period for such emission does not formpart of the present invention. An example of suitable compounds to bemixed includes diphenyl oxalate with a flourescent dye and hydrogenperoxide, which produces light when the diphenyl oxalate is oxidized bythe hydrogen peroxide, thus forming the unstable compound1,2-dioxetanedione. This compound quickly decomposes to carbon dioxideand gives off energy, which is absorbed by the electrons in the dye,which in turn are promoted to their excited state and give off lightwhen they lose their excess energy. The color of emitted light can bealtered, depending on the dye used. Another example of mixing suitablecompounds includes using luminol with an activating oxidizing agent,such as hydrogen peroxide, to produce light. Optionally, a catalyst suchas sodium salicylate may be used to accelerate the chemiluminescentreaction.

The above-described examples of suitable compounds are provided by wayof illustration but not of limitation. Other light-emitting species,precursors of emitting species, activators, and catalysts may be usedwithout deviating from the scope of the present invention.

Various techniques may be used for initiating the illumination reaction,as will now be described with reference to scenarios illustrated inFIGS. 2A-2C and FIGS. 3A-3D.

FIG. 2A illustrates a “before” scenario for an embodiment and FIG. 2Billustrates an “after” scenario for this embodiment. In this embodiment,the cable apparatus 200 (which is attached to a server 210, in theexample) includes a translucent chamber. See the cross-sectional view inFIG. 2A, where the chamber is depicted at 240 as surrounding aninsulating jacket 250 that in turn surrounds an inner transmissionmedium such as optical fiber or copper wire(s) 260. (It is known in theart for a cable to include an insulating jacket 250 that protects theinner transmission medium 260.) The chamber may be coupled to thecircumference of the entire insulating jacket, or just a portion thereof(and either approach is deemed to be within the scope of the presentinvention). Preferably, the chamber is initially hollow. The servicetechnician injects a solution created from chemiluminescent substancesinto the chamber. A syringe-type injector may be used for this purpose,as one example. See reference number 230, where this injecting isillustrated. (Preferred embodiments contemplate using a chemiluminescentsolution created by the mixing of two substances, although this is byway of illustration, and a higher number of such substances may be usedwithout deviating from the scope of the present invention.)

Preferably, the syringe injects the chemiluminescent solution into thechamber through a port that is provided into the chamber. See referencenumber 220. FIG. 2C provides a closer view of a port and syringe,showing how the port may be disposed on the cable, by way of example butnot of limitation. In this example, port 220 appears as a tube branchingoutward from the cable 200, and an end of this port is configured with afemale Luer lock 225. An end of the syringe 230 is then configured witha male Luer lock 235. (Luer locks are known in the art, and are commonlyused in medical intravenous fluid injection and other applications.)When used as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the Luer locks enable the syringeto interlock with the port (which ideally prevents spillage of thechemiluminescent solution). The port may be located near an end of thecable 200; optionally, more than one port may be disposed along thelength of the cable. For example, a port may be provided at each end ofthe cable so that a service technician can locate the cable from eitherend. It may also be desirable to have ports disposed at other placesalong the length of the cable, which may be particularly useful if thecable is relatively long (e.g., extending a long distance under theraised floor of a data center).

The chemiluminescent compounds are preferably mixed prior tointroduction into the syringe, such that the injected solution is aliquid in which the light-generating chemical reaction is eitherbeginning to occur or has already occurred. FIG. 2B shows a result ofthe injection, where cable 200′ is now glowing because of the lightemission through its translucent chamber. The cross-sectional view inFIG. 2B also depicts the chamber 240′ as now glowing. (Hash marks areused in FIG. 2B to depict the glowing nature of cable 200′ and chamber240′ for ease of drafting convenience.) This glowing will allow theservice technician to identify the particular cable 200′ from among abundle or cluster of cables, even though the cable may be located in alow-light area, thus facilitating its removal by the technician. Notealso that the service technician does not need to be in contact with, orin close proximity to, the cable 200′ in order to see it whenilluminated as disclosed herein.

The translucence of the chamber may be provided along its entirety; asone alternative, translucence may be provided through at least oneportion or window-type area of the chamber. It should be noted that if awindowed approach is used, it is preferable that a plurality of windowsare disposed along the length of the chamber, thereby increasing thelikelihood that at least one glowing window will be in a position to bereadily seen by the service technician. Note that while FIG. 2B depictsthe glowing chamber 240′ as comprising the entire circumference, this isby way of illustration and not of limitation. As an alternative, theliquid-filled chamber might be disposed as a channel extending along atleast a portion of an outer surface 270 of insulating jacket 250, wherethe chemiluminescent solution is then injected into this channel,causing it to illuminate.

Optionally, the chemiluminescent liquid may subsequently be drained fromthe chamber 240, enabling the cable to be reused once thechemiluminescence has worn off.

As an alternative to using a port 220, the chemiluminescent solution maybe introduced into the chamber 240 after puncturing an outer surface 280of the chamber, provided that the outer surface (at least in the area ofthe puncturing) is made from a self-sealing substance.

FIG. 3A illustrates a “before” scenario for an embodiment and FIG. 3Billustrates an “after” scenario for this embodiment. In this embodiment,the chemiluminescent reaction results from mixing contents of twoconcentric compartments within the overall cable apparatus 300, which isillustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A. An innertransmission medium such as optical fiber or copper wire(s) 340 issurrounded by an insulating jacket 350 that protects the innertransmission medium 340. An outer compartment 310 and a next-outercompartment 330 are separated from one another by a membrane or material320, where the outer compartment 310 is coupled to at least a portion ofthe insulating jacket 350. One of compartments 310, 330 contains thelight-emitting specie or precursor of an emitting specie (such asdiphenyl oxalate and fluorophore) and the other compartment contains anactivator (such as hydrogen peroxide). The separator material 320(referred to equivalently herein as the separator) is adapted forbreaking, dissolving, deteriorating, opening, or otherwise allowingcontents of the compartments 310, 330 to come into contact. A trigger ofvarious types may be used to initiate this contact, such as applyingheat, mechanical force, or the like, examples of which will now bedescribed.

As one approach to the triggering, the separator 320, or at least aportion thereof, may be made of a substance that is brittle and cracksupon bending beyond a certain radius. Therefore, when bent at at leastone region along the length of apparatus 300, the contents of thecompartments 310, 330 would be allowed to mix. The cross-sectional viewin FIG. 3B illustrates an effect of this scenario, where the separator320′ is now shown as being at least partially broken or otherwisecompromised (as illustrated in FIG. 3B by broken lines, for draftingconvenience). Contents of compartments 310, 330 can therefore come intocontact and combine, causing a chemiluminescent reaction that produceslight within the chamber formed as shown at 310′, 330′.

As an alternative approach, at least one resistive heating element maybe incorporated into a separator 320, in which at least a portion of theseparator 320 is made from a relatively low melting point material suchas polycaprolactone or an ethylene vinyl acetate polymer.(Polycaprolactone is a biodegradable polymer with a melting point around60 degrees Celsius. Ethylene vinyl acetate polymers generally meltbetween 50 and 100 degrees Celsius, depending on their composition.) Inthis approach, before the cable is unplugged from the server (or otherconnected power source), the server supplies electrical current toresistive element(s) incorporated into the separator 320, therebyheating and melting at least a portion of the separator. This enablescontents of compartments 310, 330 to come into contact and combine,causing a chemiluminescent reaction that produces light within thechamber formed as shown at 310′, 330′.

As yet another alternative, instead of supplying the electrical currentfrom the server prior to unplugging the cable in the scenarioillustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the electrical current could be appliedexternally for a relatively short period of time after the cable hasbeen unplugged, thereby causing at least a portion of separator 320 tomelt.

In still another alternative, the separator 320 may be composed of anelectroactive polymer, or at least one region of electroactive polymer,that opens when exposed to current. In this approach, once the cable isunplugged, a battery may be connected to the separator to provide asource of current and thus allow the contents of compartments 310, 330to come into contact and mix, causing a chemiluminescent reaction thatproduces light within the chamber formed as shown at 310′, 330′.

In yet a further alternative, cable apparatus 300 may be constructedsuch that separator 320, or at least a portion thereof, is capable ofbeing removed once the cable is unplugged. This allows the contents ofcompartments 310, 330 to come into contact and mix, causing achemiluminescent reaction that produces light within the chamber formedas shown at 310′, 330′. Or, rather than completely removing theseparator, a similar result may be achieved using an alternative whereat least some portion of the separator is moved, thus providing anopening between compartments 310, 330 and allowing their contents tomix. This moving may be triggered, for example, by the servicetechnician sliding a gating component out of an end of the cableapparatus, pressing a button embodied on the cable apparatus, and soforth. FIGS. 3C and 3D illustrate one approach that may be used with abutton, as will now be described.

When a button is used to trigger the mixing of compartments 310, 330,the button may be located near an end of the cable or both ends of thecable. Optionally, a plurality of buttons may be placed around thecircumference of the cable—for example, to facilitate faster mixing.This is shown in FIG. 3C, where buttons 370 are depicted. In thisexample, the cable 300′ is shown with an added layer 360 in whichbuttons 370 are disposed. This added layer 360 is preferably clear, ortranslucent, in at least a portion of the length of the cable. Use ofthis additional layer may serve as a safeguard that prevents thechemiluminescent solution—as well as the contents of outer compartment310, prior to the mixing—from leaking out. A valve 380 corresponding toeach button 370 may be provided in the separator 320, as shown. FIG. 3Dillustrates an effect of pressing the buttons 370. As shown therein,pressing buttons 370 causes the valves 380 to open, thereby allowing thecontents of compartments 310, 330 to mix. As one option to providingvalve(s) 380 in separator 320, the separator may be composed of asubstance that will be punctured when a button 370 is depressed, therebyintroducing a hole into the separator. In this case, the button may beconfigured to have a sharp tip or multiple sharp protrusions (notshown), causing the separator to rupture when the button is depressed.Note that while FIGS. 3C and 3D depict buttons 370 as being located nearan end of the cable that attaches 385 to a server or system 390, this isby way of illustration and not of limitation; optionally, at least oneadditional location along the length of the cable may be configured withat least one button. This may be particularly useful if the cable isrelatively long.

As can be seen from the above discussions, an embodiment of the presentinvention enhances traceability of cables using illumination. Whilediscussions herein are primarily in terms of enhancing traceability ofcables connected to servers or electronic devices, this is by way ofillustration and not of limitation. An embodiment of the presentinvention may be used with signal cables (such as fiber optic or coppercables), power cables, or networking cables, as well as with hoses,cords, or wires for other industries or applications.

While embodiments of the present invention have been described,additional variations and modifications in those embodiments may occurto those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventiveconcepts. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall beconstrued to include the described embodiments and all such variationsand modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for tracing a cable usingillumination, comprising: introducing a chemiluminescent solution into ahollow chamber of a cable apparatus of which the cable forms a part, thechamber coupled to at least a portion of an outer surface of aninsulating jacket that surrounds an outer surface of a transmissionmedium of the cable, a portion of the chamber comprised of a substancethrough which light is viewable, such that upon the introduction of thechemiluminescent solution, light emitted by the chemiluminescentsolution is viewable through at least the portion of the chamber.
 2. Acable apparatus, comprising: a transmission medium; an insulating jacketsurrounding an outer surface of the transmission medium; a firstcompartment coupled to at least a portion of an outer surface of theinsulating jacket, the first compartment containing a first substance;and a second compartment coupled to at least a portion of the firstcompartment and physically separated therefrom by a separator material,the second compartment containing a second substance, wherein theseparator material, when triggered to open, thereby forms an openingbetween the first compartment and the second compartment that allows thefirst substance to mix with the second substance, the first and secondsubstances being chosen as providing a chemiluminescent reaction uponthe mixing, such that light emitted by the chemiluminescent reaction isviewable from the cable apparatus.
 3. The cable apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein at least a portion of the second compartment iscomprised of a substance through which the emitted light is viewable. 4.The cable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substance of whichthe at least a portion of the second compartment is comprised istranslucent.
 5. The cable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein thesubstance of which the at least a portion of the second compartment iscomprised is transparent.
 6. The cable apparatus according to claim 2,wherein one of the first substance and the second substance comprises alight-emitting specie or precursor thereof, and the other of the firstsubstance and the second substance comprises an activator.
 7. The cableapparatus according to claim 6, wherein: the light-emitting specie orprecursor thereof comprises diphenyl oxalate and fluorophore; and theactivator comprises hydrogen peroxide.
 8. The cable apparatus accordingto claim 2, wherein: the separator material is brittle; and thetriggering comprises breaking the separator material.
 9. The cableapparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the separator material has atleast one resistive heating element incorporated therein; and thetriggering comprises heating at least a portion of the separatormaterial to cause melting thereof.
 10. The cable apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein: a least a portion of the separator material ismovable; and the triggering comprises moving the movable portion to formthe opening.